That's why I always shoot RAW. If I ever manage to shoot a picture like your kingfisher, I want to be able to make the most of it in PP. I don't think it's possible to make a plan beforehead: "today I'm going to shoot that dream picture, so I better use RAW":-)

to me the easiest way to screw up in PP is oversharpening and too much sat.
i like a lot of saturation(just me) and i really have to watch it carefully. over sharpening is as plain as the nose on your face..

Interesting comments. On my laptop the kingfisher looks really nice. The flock is a bit harsh, but it is still a good picture! Back in the old days with film and the local drug store we would have been elated withpictures like these.

Picasa can't do a lot, but it is very good at what it does. I use it all the time for lighting. I also use an old version of MGI Photo Suite for some things, but it can't touch some of the newer programs that are on the market.

These cameras and all this computer PP are great!They really add to the whole experience and give us so much control over the finished product.